RPM on motorway trip?

[AgentW]

Okay, here's a question. I have my FZ6 with a 33bhp restrictor kit on it. When I'm zipping along a relatively free motorway or dual carriageway, I tend to do around 85mph. My question is, what sort of rpm should I be aiming at? I can stick it in 6th gear and I seem to be doing about 6,000 revs.... but is that a) good for the engine b) fuel efficient?

Should I be better off in about 4th gear, doing about 8,500 revs?

Cheers

 

[grommit]

Okay, here's a question. I have my FZ6 with a 33bhp restrictor kit on it. When I'm zipping along a relatively free motorway or dual carriageway, I tend to do around 85mph. My question is, what sort of rpm should I be aiming at? I can stick it in 6th gear and I seem to be doing about 6,000 revs.... but is that a) good for the engine b) fuel efficient?

Should I be better off in about 4th gear, doing about 8,500 revs?

Cheers

70MPH is the legal maximum and you should not go over that.:justkidding:

Depends on the traffic density and the road. You should have enough oomph on tap to keep you out of trouble relative to the situation.

 

[Nelly]

Okay, here's a question. I have my FZ6 with a 33bhp restrictor kit on it. When I'm zipping along a relatively free motorway or dual carriageway, I tend to do around 85mph. My question is, what sort of rpm should I be aiming at? I can stick it in 6th gear and I seem to be doing about 6,000 revs.... but is that a) good for the engine b) fuel efficient?

Should I be better off in about 4th gear, doing about 8,500 revs?

Cheers

Grommit + 1 on your advice.
6000 rpm at a constant 85mph is going to be more fuel efficient than 8500 revs in a lower gear.
I have not ridden the restricted version so I don't know how much you have left in reserve. Personally I find that on mine at 85mph it will roll on quite nicely and smoothly up to 100 with out needing to change down.
Out of interest, how fast will the restricted engine top out at?

Nelly

 

[HavBlue]

At 85mph 6th gear should be the fuel gear where 5th would be the safe gear in terms relative to safety and traffic density. Hopefully you're not running 85mph with a lot of traffic around you. Either way, anything above 75mph and you're sucking it up........

 

[Nelly]

Either way, anything above 75mph and you're sucking it up........

Isn't that the truth Charlie. I recently came back from Birmingham uk. The roads were good to me. I manage to use a brimmed tank (120 miles). I needed 18 litres to refill.

Nelly

ps I read in the paper yesterday that crude oil has reached an all time high of $130.00 a barrel. Is this right? If so those long quick runs will soon be a thing of the past

Nelly

 

[HavBlue]

I read in the paper yesterday that crude oil has reached an all time high of $130.00 a barrel. Is this right? If so those long quick runs will soon be a thing of the past

Nelly

It was actually above that for a brief period Neil.

 

[Nelly]

It was actually above that for a brief period Neil.

Please someone invent the next cheap bio fuel (that is actually is EF), it will soon be cheaper to run my bike on alcohol....

 

[HavBlue]

Please someone invent the next cheap bio fuel (that is actually is EF and), it will soon be cheaper to run my bike on alcohol....

Bloody hell, we already have here in Kentucky. It's call shine and it's made in the woods. It's very suitable for human consumption too......

 

[Nelly]

Bloody hell, we already have here in Kentucky. It's call shine and it's made in the woods. It's very suitable for human consumption too......

Does alcohol clean burn, so to speak, in conbustion not your Oesophagus lol?

Nelly

 

[HavBlue]

Does alcohol clean burn, so to speak, in conbustion not your Oesophagus lol?

Nelly

Yes but there aren't as many BTU so the engine has to be set up to run on it. This isn't to say it won't run on alcohol without set up, only to say that it won't run near as well.

 

[Nelly]

Yes but there aren't as many BTU so the engine has to be set up to run on it. This isn't to say it won't run on alcohol without set up, only to say that it won't run near as well.

So why dont we use it? Its good enough for top fuel dragsters?

 

[HavBlue]

So why dont we use it? Its good enough for top fuel dragsters?

Because the AA/FD and AA/FC use nitro and the average life expectancy of an engine is roughly 7 minutes. I had taken the g-kids to see the Winter Nationals at Pomona in 2005 and the John Force team had just put their engine together in the pits and was going to fire it off. I told the boys to make tracks the other way but the crowd was pushing in to watch. Bad idea and we didn't get out in time. That stuff had people running because it was burning their eyes and throats. The Alcohol cars are fired on gas (you'll see the crew chief squirting it in the bug catcher with a bottle just before they crank it over). That fuel is roughly $10.00 per gallon and they will go through 5 gallons on a single run.

 

[Nelly]

Ok, so its nearly as cheap as petrol LOL.
Actually my dad used to drag race, he kept falling over the high heels though:justkidding: He ran a Triumph Bonaville with a blower. It was called "Purple panic" This was in 1974. I can't remember what the times were in the 1/4. He built the bike himself and one of my child hood memories is going to Santa Pod (famous UK strip) to watch him run. My dad used to know a few of the local Angels chapter. They baby sat me and my brother whislt he ran. It was great, Santa pod was always packed in those days. The Angel's picked my brother and I up and marched through the crowd and stuck us right at the front on the bill boards. Ring side seats they then fed us coke and chips all day.

Nelly

 

[HavBlue]

Ok, so its nearly as cheap as petrol LOL.
Actually my dad used to drag race, he kept falling over the high heels though:justkidding: He ran a Triumph Bonaville with a blower. It was called "Purple panic" This was in 1974. I can't remember what the times were in the 1/4. He built the bike himself and one of my child hood memories is going to Santa Pod (famous UK strip) to watch him run. My dad used to know a few of the local Angels chapter. They baby sat me and my brother whislt he ran. It was great, Santa pod was always packed in those days. The Angel's picked my brother and I up and marched through the crowd and stuck us right at the front on the bill boards. Ring side seats they then fed us coke and chips all day.

Nelly

Your dad rode Panic? here...

Senior Comp went to Dave Page in 'Panic'. His 9.17 in the best of three match race with Vic Hammonds 'Mr Big' was a new class record. The American bikes had two match races and treated their crowds to side-by-side rolling burnouts. Round One went to Johnson with a hole shot 8.52/164 to TCs 8.37/162. Round Two saw Johnson break an engine sprocket and coast to an eleven second pass as Christenson hit 8.47/165. With Johnson out John Hobbs stepped in for Round Three and despite a hole shot his 9.15/159 was no match for Christensons 8.37/153. Mick Warne had a best of three match race with South Africa's Mike Bramley, both riders using 1500cc Triumph machines. Warne took all three, 9.53 to 9.62, 9.34 to 9.53 and 9.53 to 9.47. Warnes 9.34/151 was a new personal best. Senior Bike went to the remarkable blown 250cc Honda of Mick Hand. He ran his first ever nine second run earlier in the day with a 9.75/142.05 and in the final his 10.37/140.45 was enough to defeat a 10.71/137.55 from Dennis Normans 1656cc double Norton!

Yeah, Panic is part of British motorcycle drag racing history buddy....

 

[Nelly]

Your dad rode Panic? here...

Senior Comp went to Dave Page in 'Panic'. His 9.17 in the best of three match race with Vic Hammonds 'Mr Big' was a new class record. The American bikes had two match races and treated their crowds to side-by-side rolling burnouts. Round One went to Johnson with a hole shot 8.52/164 to TCs 8.37/162. Round Two saw Johnson break an engine sprocket and coast to an eleven second pass as Christenson hit 8.47/165. With Johnson out John Hobbs stepped in for Round Three and despite a hole shot his 9.15/159 was no match for Christensons 8.37/153. Mick Warne had a best of three match race with South Africa's Mike Bramley, both riders using 1500cc Triumph machines. Warne took all three, 9.53 to 9.62, 9.34 to 9.53 and 9.53 to 9.47. Warnes 9.34/151 was a new personal best. Senior Bike went to the remarkable blown 250cc Honda of Mick Hand. He ran his first ever nine second run earlier in the day with a 9.75/142.05 and in the final his 10.37/140.45 was enough to defeat a 10.71/137.55 from Dennis Normans 1656cc double Norton!

Yeah, Panic is part of British motorcycle drag racing history buddy....

Hi Charlie,

My dad moved to the US in 1981. I don't think he ever road a strip there unless it was a run what ya brung.

Nelly

 

[HavBlue]

Hi Charlie,

My dad moved to the US in 1981. I don't think he ever road a strip there unless it was a run what ya brung.

Nelly

Neil, that's taken from a historical society in the UK and available on the web for years 74 through 85 in this case. Panic is famous buddy:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[Nelly]

Neil, that's taken from a historical society in the UK and available on the web for years 74 through 85 in this case. Panic is famous buddy:thumbup::thumbup:

Shows how much I know, I will have a look myself and see if the bike is the one and the same. My bet is that my dad did it out of honour or something as he was certainly not a pro racer.

Nelly

I have just spoken to my step father (who also used to race a bonny), "Purple panic was indeed named after the origional "Panic". So it all makes sense now.

 

[AgentW]

Grommit + 1 on your advice.
6000 rpm at a constant 85mph is going to be more fuel efficient than 8500 revs in a lower gear.
I have not ridden the restricted version so I don't know how much you have left in reserve. Personally I find that on mine at 85mph it will roll on quite nicely and smoothly up to 100 with out needing to change down.
Out of interest, how fast will the restricted engine top out at?

Nelly

I *think* (because I wouldn't of course go that speed), it'll top out at about 105mph with the wind behind.